Antler's October Holıday 2010

[kevincat99]

Hi Antler - glad you enjoyed your potato gozleme with lots of chilli and the paracetamol
If I had know that I was serving such a famous celebrity - I would have asked for your autograph on a pancake
The Waiter 

[GARDENIA PAT]

Well as usual Antler your reports are fantastic and im so envious! We arrived home on wednesday after two weeks and hardley went out,we both had flu and i mean the kind where you don't want to move or wash or get dressed etc so all our lovely plans went array,i think we managed about 4 meals out but with no heart in it. Ah well weve already booked our flights for May so from now on its vitamins all the way to get the old immune system ready!!!Have a safe flight home.......

[Enjoy Kalkan]

cant wait for the next instalment!

[Dorby Perry]

I was gripped by your story and lived every moment with you - what a laugh! Hope the rest of your holiday was just as good!

[antler]

Hi Kevincat!

If I thought I was such a celebrity, I wouldn't have paid for the pancake!

The Chilli worked wonders, I was back on the Efes by 1pm!

cheers

Antler

[antler]

    Friday took us to the Town Beach, something we had never  done before. We had to call into Café Leon on the way, for another Latte and it  was hard to leave the music for the beach.

TL7 for 2 beds and an umbrella and TL0.5 for a small bottle  of water from the Café on the prom.

Not many people on the beach and you felt obliged to whisper as it  was so tranquil. I had a dip before lunch at Kaptans  - Amberjack Fish Skewers and Mrs A had the Chicken Fillets. With  a bottle of Lal it was our most expensive meal at around TL83, but I guess  that’s the location.

We could have stayed there forever, had it not been for an  appointment at Merkez at 7.30pm.  The  Lorilous were already there and Jules and Jon joined us soon after for a  beverage or two. Mr Lorilou had his trumpet with him and the table next to us,  from the Netherlands were made up with “Tulips from Amsterdam”.

The waiters each had a go at getting some sound out of the  trumpet, to much laughter and rounds of applause. Competition was creeping in.

A lady came over and said “Excuse me, are you Lorilou?” and  then introduced herself as “Itstime” off the EK Forum. Itstime was on her way  home again shortly and we bid farewell for our last dinner a few metres away in  Mussakka.

Choosing what to eat was hard, but we got there with a bit  of direction from Mehmet; mixed hot meze for two (for four), two Mozzarella  Chicken, one Mussaka and one Seafood Paella. Sorted. We left the rest to Mehmet  and his Team and it just happened.

Nice Lady on the next table said it all. “This is our last  evening and I only wished we had found this restaurant before, as the meal was  the best we had ever had”. Indeed. We weren’t there by accident either, for our  third visit this week. She struck up a conversation with Mr Lorilou regarding  his trumpet playing and she mentioned her favourite tune (My Funny Valentine) and trumpet  player (Chet Baker)  - and so Mr Lorilou tinkled his  fingers over the brass and played her that tune very softly. You could see Nice  Lady was clearly moved and all she could say was “thank you so much, that was  the best thing that has happened to me this holiday” and her husband's face dropped! There was a heartfelt round of applause from the diners and we got on  with our meal.

I can’t remember precisely when during the meal the heavens  opened, but boy, did they open. Jules and Jon joined us after their dinner at  The Nar and we had a nightcap whilst Jon mastered the trumpet. That guy has  determination. See Jon blow. See the pictures.

A break in the rain allowed us time to reach Room 301 at the  Samara Garden and then we had the loudest thunderstorm I had ever experienced.  The explosions could have been on our balcony. I was waking up just after 7am  and there were still remnants of flashes across Kalkan Bay. It was Saturday morning  and today we were going home.


Antler

[itstime]

Hi Antler. Was good to bump into you all. We were sitting in the Merkez for a final drink before setting off with heavy hearts. When I saw and heard the trumpet, I remembered that Lorilou had posted previously about her husband playing the trumpet so wasn't too much of a leap of faith to decide that maybe it was indeed Lorilou. My OH was slightly aghast at me accosting complete strangers and when Mr Lorilou handed me the trumpet, his face was a picture
I did eventually manage to get a note out of the instrument though it did sound somewhat like a strangulated cat Ah well don't think I have a career in the orchestra awaiting me

Hope you have a safe journey home and that your transfer to Dalaman is slightly less eventful than ours as we had the company of the huge lightning storm almost the entire journey

[antler]

      Just time for one more shave along at Jasmine, a smart  haircut and a final check on the knots in the shoulder blades. Mehmet did me  proud and I felt smart enough afterwards to call into Likya Residence Hotel  & Spa.
 
We asked reception if we could check out Room 106, which is  reputed to be the best room, by some, in the Hotel. We were promptly escorted  to the room & could immediately see why it would be so popular. It has a  corner balcony and uninterrupted view of the sea from sunrise to sunset. A haven  of tranquillity. Mind you, I thought the Rhapsody Hotel just along the way had  a perfect setting too. It’s just different degrees of perfection, I guess? I  noted Room 106 in my mind, as we will, God willing, have been married 30 years  next year!
 
Mr & Mrs Lorilou were in The Lounge having coffee and we  joined them for an Efes and hoped they would join us for lunch at Adam’s, which  they did. Our man Adam was there at 1pm to pick us up and whisked us along the  roads towards Kas.
 
If you go to Adam’s at night, at this time of year, you do  miss out on the lovely view. But here at 1pm, you had the full vista. Meis was  crystal clear after the overnight storms had cleared the air. Our table was on  the edge of the lower terrace. Lovely company, lovely view, lovely food…..
 
Mixed starters, Lamb Shanks and Chicken Skewers, us four and  the ocean. I did my best to stay with the conversation but Randy Crawford had  stuck in my mind all holiday. It just seemed to go with this Autumn Break,  whereas Enrique, as well as Michael B’s “Crazy Love” had dominated my time on  The Wall at The Mediterranean Apartments in July. Funny how a holiday gets  branded with a favourite tune?
 
“If you’re not afraid of what love brings, then endings are  beginnings of beautiful things………..”   Out at sea, the solitary ship sailing across the horizon misted over…
 
Whoa!  I’d better not  go there and give “maryjane” another problem!
 
Anyway, we all enjoyed our meal and I really did not want  this to end. Mr & Mrs Lorilou were there to help us through it. I finished  my lamb shank with the tender meat falling away from the bone; we settled our  bill and had a hug. As we drove away, Adam’s wife was waving, dropping her head  lower and lower to keep us in view under the hanging branches of the Olive Tree  while the chickens scratched for some crumbs underneath.
 
The road back into Kalkan was short and Adam dropped us back  to the bottom of the village to a final welcome from Levent & Jane at Café  Leon. That music - Levent’s music - lifted me out of Randy Crawford and we had  a touch of the 80’s and by special request, some tunes from the “Strictly”  tour, with Mr Lorilou playing.
 
We asked Jane if she would prepare a packed meal for us, from  her menu, for the airport. (We ate it Landside after checking-in; delicious egg  mayo & rocket rolls with some carrot cake that is so moist, it really is to  die for).  A big Thanks, Jane!
 
We chatted over a final drink in Café Leon and thanked Mr  & Mrs Lorilou for their company, their incredible humour and their  compassion.   We gave Dolly, the black  labrador, a big hug too, and she responded with a slobbery lick, that caught  our tears and made us even more determined to come this way again one day soon. 
 
Antler

[Chucky]

Yet another fabulous holiday report. Thank you Antler for your reports and also for encouraging others to tell us about their holidays.
Joan

[fitwenchdidyell]

Brilliant Antler (as always) I think I enjoyed your holiday food almost as much as you did and managed to avoid weight gain!

How did those shorts cope??

(PS I finally got round to uploading my pix from September 09 - following your easy peasy instructions - including the storm at Mediteran)

[Blue Lizard]

Yes! great stuff Antler......I've really enjoyed following you around...so many familiar names and places!We now have a British winter to look forward to before next years happy hols! still at least when it's booked it's something to look forward to egh?

[antler]

Hi fitwenchdidyell!

Thanks for the feedback. The shorts coped very admirably. It did help walking around a lot more, especially as it was such a comfortable climate. And of course, it was only a week, not 2.5 weeks like in July. Now we are always able to go out of the main school season, which will be lovely.

I'm back on the Points in a Prawn diet, now though, having eaten so well  - as you saw!

Cheers

Antler

[antler]

Cheers, BL!

I think you have booked for next year, haven't you? So you have that to look forward to already.

First, I must pay the Credit Card for July's holiday and then this last one......

Maybe come February there may some space to put some flights on the ol' plastic....

[kalkan4eva]

...oh Antler, you do have a way with words! Get cracking on a book and the advance will pay the credit card bills AND next year's flights. Glad you enjoyed Kalkan outside of the heat and hustle of July/Aug. Try early season next year - June is also a great month to be in Kalkan. That said, I'll bet your son will still want to come with you next year, if he's anything like our offspring...

[antler]

Thanks K4E, will do!
Oh, I think Ollie will want to come again, for sure - and then it may be the last one with him, for a while.
I fancy a nice villa somewhere. It was nice to try a hotel again after many years, and the Samira Garden was fine, in a fantastic location (and soon to be even closer to Chillies!) but staying in a Hotel re-confirmed for us both why we don't like it.
Lorilou's villa gave me the itch!
 
So I will be scouring Owners Direct etc during the bleak months.....
 
cheers
Antler

[Roxie]

Sorry to have missed you, this time, Antler. We were staying at our friend's villa in Kisla as ours was occupied. Ran into Itstime, as well, so we didn't miss you by much. Glad you had such a good time and hope to meet next year. Lilly sends her best!
Rx